


Promises

by IceJazzElleth



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Family Drama, Family Fluff, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-22 00:26:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14296746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceJazzElleth/pseuds/IceJazzElleth
Summary: Ezio teases Claudia at a meeting with the Brotherhood and gets a surprise.





	Promises

Sometimes being back home was awful. But there was only so long that you could spent with your little sister pilchering away hard-earned cash.  
So Ezio had been forced to return home. Much to his own annoyance. Although this time he did have ‘friends’. Since he had been accepted into the ancient Brotherhood of Assassins, those he trained with, lived with and fought shoulder to shoulder with revealed their old ties to Mario and his planned trip back before Claudia could get another few thousand florins aligned with a need to convene a meeting.  
It irked him just a bit that Claudia could get away with so much of his money with nothing but grumbles from him. And it just rubbed salt in the wound that his little sister was allowed to sit in on his first true gathering because as well as being the daughter of Giovanni, Mario’s match for her to his Captain of the Guard left her a wife of an ‘assassin’.  
  
Ezio did sometimes wonder about the use of the word assassin for all of them. Barto, and Zio Mario for that matter, certainly did not seem the type with their love of open combat. Nor did the two courtesans look like killers.  
Ezio’s only consolation for all the hard work he put in was that he was seated at Mario’s right side. Claudia was down at the bottom. Her husband was minor and her significance was more tied to him. She had no deeds of her own other than birth.  
“What brought you back to Monterggioni?” Ezio glanced over to Machiavelli as he spoke.  
“It is my home,” Ezio said, a bit taken back. “I have family here.”  
“Forgive me for appearing rude, but I am often here to talk with Ser Mario. Florence is not so far away that I can’t make a quick visit.” Machiavelli said.  
“His sister keeps him on a leash, or so he tells me!” Rosa cut in, her cheeks rosy from Mario’s strong vintage. Ezio had noticed those who knew how great Mario’s tolerance was had gone much more carefully on the wine than the others.  
Machiavelli raised an eyebrow while Barto laughed, having overheard Rosa’s loud comment.  
“A leash on that boy! Might as well catch smoke!” He said.  
“A woman always knows how to get a grip on a man.” Paola said. “Husband, son or brother.”  
“It’s nothing like that.” Ezio assured them with a smile. “She just likes to take left over interest once the box is too full to take to the bank. Right pain in the backside though.” He said.  
“She takes your money? I’ve got to admire, that takes balls.” Antonio said with a laugh, slapping the table.  
“It’s not like she knows anything better. Father spoilt her rotten.” Ezio defended.  
“Hey, you don’t spoil me rotten, Antonio!” Rosa commented.  
“I couldn’t have you creaming off with all my money. I’m not Ezio.” Antonio laughed.  
“You’d think she’d have stopped such childish behaviour now she has a husband to support her and children to look up to her.” Ezio commented, his tone light as chuckles broke out around him.  
“Ezio-” Mario started.  
“Si, how old is she now?” Asked Rosa.  
“Oh, she is only two years younger. You’d really have thought by now she wouldn’t be taking money from me.”  
“Yeah, you have me to spend that spare money on.” Rosa grinned, leaning over to give Ezio a kiss.  
“That I do, caro mio.” Ezio said. “I’ll ask her to stop treating me like a bottomless money box, eh?”  
“I do it so I can see you.” Claudia’s voice rang out over the table, cutting through the laughter. “Because I won’t see you otherwise. If I didn’t force you to come back every year by my promise to take the money I would have no brother. Besides, it’s not like you pay me to manage the finances. As you said, I have a husband and child. I’m not part of your household anymore, Ezio Auditore. The work is not for my family. It’s for yours. And you have never given me an allowance. No. I do it so I can see my brother. The last person who will speak to me from home.”  
Ezio stared. Dumbfounded. Claudia… missed him? Wanted to see him…  
“Claudia-” Her husband started to say, placing a hand on her arm. She shook it off, pushing her chair back so she could stand.  
“I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn. I am not feeling well. Please excuse me.” She placed her napkin down on the table and gave a small curtsey before leaving.  
  
_-_-_  
  
Ezio awoke the next day, head pounding until he realised it wasn’t just his head. It was the door. Mario’s wine was stronger than he had remembered. He didn’t envy Rosa’s head. She had to be escorted out by Sister Theodora before the meeting had finished.  
  
The pounding continued.  
  
Ezio’s eyes slid to the window with the curtains slightly ajar. It was near midday.  
  
“Who is it?” He finally called out.  
“Gustav.” Came the reply. Claudia’s husband.  
Ezio blinked, events swirling around his head. “Come in.” He said eventually, pulling a gown around himself.  
The captain of the guard walked in, fully dressed. No weapons, Ezio noted. Despite being in his kit. He approved of the man’s thinking.  
“Claudia. She went home and locked the bedroom door. I had to sleep on the floor. In my own home. She’s not had breakfast or lunch.” Gustav said. Ezio stared. Time went by. Gustav sighed.  
“I expect her to be at the dinner table. And to at least eat something. I know her foul moods and they are not pleasant. If you’ve put her in one, I’m not taking the brunt.” Then he stormed out. Ezio’s throbbing head stared after the man.  
“Cazzo!” Ezio swore as it hit him. Quickly he got dressed.  
  
Ever since they lost their family, they had all struggled. Madre had not spoke a word and spent most of her time in prayer. Ezio had become reckless and had taken more than his fair share of breaks and sword wounds. Claudia got dark moods where she would either lash outwards or inwards. The unpredictability of Claudia’s mood was the problem. Once she had dislocated her husband’s jaw because he had tried to bed her unaware that she was in one of her tempers. Other times no one noticed.  
  
But their family could really do with Claudia not making a scene.  
  
Dressed, he hurried out of the house and the short walk to Claudia’s new home. His nipote was out with the governess collecting flowers, a servant informed him. Probably for the best. He took the stairs two at a time to get up to the master bedroom.  
“Claudia.” He said, knocking on the door. He waited.  
“Claudia!” He demanded after a minute had passed, knocking heavily on the door.  
No sign.  
“I’m coming in.” He announced, slipping out his blade and unlocking the door. It was empty. The bed unslept in. The room cold. The window open.  
  
_-_-_  
  
She’s where he thought she would be. The graveyard. Three graves for their father and brothers. Another one for one of her children who did not survive. Ezio sighed as he realised she had not changed and her hair was matted with dried dew. Claudia jumped at the noise, turning to stare at him, a knife in hand.  
  
Slowly Ezio sat down.  
  
“Just me, Claudia.” He said and she lowered the knife.  
“You don’t need that, you know. It’s safe in here.” Ezio commented, gesturing to the knife. She looked down at it bleakly. Ezio moved forwards slowly. She looked back up but didn’t move the knife. He finished moving up to her and put an arm around her shoulder.  
“I miss them.” Claudia croaked. Her eyes were dark.  
“So do I.” Ezio said, rubbing her shoulder. Their bodies were far away. Apart from the child.  
“Why do you keep away?” Her voice sounded so young. Like that girl back when they first arrived here, horrified at the conditions.  
“I guess I don’t want to have to remember. When I come back here, I see you and Mum but not them. And I don’t want to do that. I want to escape the past and forge a new future.”  
“With Rosa?”  
“Maybe.” Ezio loved her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But he couldn’t imagine it. Always it was Christina’s face. He sighed as Claudia’s head fell against his shoulder, her body slumping against his slightly.  
“If things calm down, I’ll bring her here. We will be happy. And you won’t be so alone.” He promised.  
“I’d like that.” Claudia said. “Promise?”  
“Promise.”


End file.
